Burton gave us a grief-wracked demon barber in 2007′s Sweeney Todd and oodles of Oompa Loompas in 2005′s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Now one of Hollywood’s most visually creative directors layers his own surreal sensibilities upon the fanciful world of Lewis Carroll in Disney’s Alice in Wonderland, due in theaters on March 5, 2010. This first look at some of the concept art for the film suggests there is the usual Burton dark magic afoot.

Yes, yes … these images are really beautiful and hint at a more sinister Wonderland than we may be accustomed to … but it is the character art that really gives you a good feel for the tone of the film. After the jump, check out the amazing promo images of The Mad Hatter, The Red Queen, The White Queen and The Tweedles …

Johnny Depp may be one of the most desirable men in Hollywood, but he looks far from handsome in his latest film role. In place of his light golden tan and dark brown hair, Depp is unrecognisable with his curly orange hair, pasty skin and pink make-up as she plays the ghoulish-looking Mad Hatter in Tim Burton’s upcoming adaptation of Alice In Wonderland. The 46-year-old actor joins Anne Hathaway, Matt Lucas, Alan Rickman, Stephen Fry and Helena Bonham Carter in the eagerly-anticipated movie. Relative unknown Mia Wasikowska, 19, from Australia, will be playing Alice, who is much older in the film than in CS Carroll’s classic. Seventeen-year-old Alice struggles to fit into Victorian society and is about to be proposed to in front of hundreds of people at a garden party. She flees the party and spots the White Rabbit (Michael Sheen) and follows him down a hole and into Wonderland. While film fans will have to wait until March 2010 to see the film, Disney have given them a taste of things to come with the first official glimpse of the cast in their garish costumes. The look of the film is typical Burton style with Victorian styling and extreme colour contrasts. As well as being transformed by their costumes, the cast’s features have been digitally altered, making them look far removed from their normal selves. As the tea-drinking, unbirthday-celebrating Mad Hatter, Johnny’s eyes are yellow and enlarged. Producer Richard Zanuck said: “This character is off his rocker. He is so much fun and so nutty, I can’t imagine anyone else doing it.” The film also stars Burton’s muse and real-life partner Bonham Carter, whose head has been digitally swelled to play the Red Queen. Dressed in full royal regalia, Bonham Carter’s body is dwarfed by her bulbous head, a physical reflection of the Queen’s enormous ego. The Red Queen has overthrown her sister, the White Queen (Hathaway) and has turned Wonderland from a peaceful kingdom to a land of paranoia and fear. Zanuck explained: “The creatures are ready to revolt and waiting for Alice to help them.” Normally a brunette, Hathaway looks ethereal with her platinum blonde hair and alabaster skin as she plays the exiled Queen. Zanuck describes her as “beautiful but over the top. She doesn’t walk. She floats. She’s very eccentric.” The Devil Wears Prada star Hathaway added: “She’s cute, but psycho. Things even out.” Little Britain star Lucas plays rhyming twins Tweedledee and Tweedledum, who has been digitally manipulated to look egg-shaped using motion-capture technology. The pair are two of the first characters to meet Alice upon her arrival in Wonderland and introduce her to the Mad Hatter. Explaining his casting of newcomer Wasikowska as Alice, Burton said: “We met a lot of people, but she just had that certain kind of emotional toughness, standing her ground in a way that makes her kind of an older person with a younger person?s mentality.” The film also stars Christopher Lee as the Jabberwock, Rickman as the Caterpiller, Fry as the Cheshire Cat and Back To The Future actor Crispin Glover as the Knave of Hearts. Alice in Wonderland will be released in both traditional and 3-D format on March 12 2010.

Wow! What a cast! This first look at Burton‘s vision of Wonderland is so incredibly exciting. The Alice in Wonderland tale is so full of magic that it’s not difficult to use one’s imagination to have fun with the tale … in the hands of a visionary like Tim Burton, man, the sky’s the limit! I was impressed with the first look at The Mad Hatter that we got to see last November … but I’m totally blown away by these new promo images. I’d bet very good money that this movie will be a smash at the box office. I am so in love with this movie … I can’t wait for its release!!

I’m so excited for this movie, Alice in Wonderland has always been one of the darker tales, that Disney interpreted. I think it promises to be an excellent movie, Tim Burton/Johnny Depp films, never disappoint when it comes to oddness.

I am SO sick of Johnny No-Depth and Helena Whatevera Carter playing the same dark, weirdo, kooky characters with crazy eyes and sunken in cheekbones over and over. It’s boring and annoying. Johnny Depp ruined Willy Wonka, I will not watch him screw up the Mad Hatter.

@Gillian…he did screw up willy wonka! the original was soooo much better than that burton piece of crap.

@angieC…i thought it was elijah wood too!

i hope that since there has never been a real live action alice in wonderland (a really popular one anyway) that this movie will really bring the disney version to life. (with an obviously darker tone)

I love almost every actor in this film! So excited! Love what Tim did for the Chocolate Factory, much more faithful to the book and hope he does the same for Alice. So happy to see Matt Lucas. Loved him in Little Britain both British and USA versions!

This was my absolute favorite Disney tale as a kid and I can’t can’t can’t wait until this film comes out. I hope I love it.. Now that I’m an adult i’ll have the grown up version of my favorite kid cartoon.. aces!

Tim Burton and Johnny Depp have always been my one and only face movie-making team. I CANNOT wait for this movie to come out!!!!!!! Throw in a little Danny Elfman Soundtrack and I’m officially going mad with anticipation.

He uses the same actors all the time. Johnny Depp is an amazing tho, just wsh Burton would do something different. He really isn’t doing anything new, fresh or talented really and this version looks to kill the colourful, beautiful & happy Alice in Wonderland, children and EVERYONE else except gothics see it as.

Helena really should like, ya know, take acting classes besides the ones she is taking with the crazy Gypsy woman. She was okay in Harry Potter, played it well but thats ALL she plays, in real life too.

I’m shocked Anne Hathaway is in this, hope it don’t spoil her career or anything.

Yeah, Tim Burton is pretty boring these days. But his movies haven’t been that spectacular anyway. Anything to keep those gothics & emos happy!

The original movies are based off of the actual books (Willy Wonka and Alice In Wonderland). If you read the books, you’ll see that it’s not really a children’s book. Just like Willy Wonka, I believe this movie will be more true to the book and give more depth and details than the original movies. I’m definitely excited to see what Burton does with it.

This should be interesting! I can appreciate Tim Burton’s creative genius but still be a little creeped out by his movies :) Reminds me of a quote I read somewhere, “The reason Tim Burton is allowed to continue making movies is because everyone is afraid of what he would be doing if he wasn’t making movies.”

While I agree that the Willy Wonka remake was a let down; I am REALLY excited for this film. Alice in Wonderland has always had that slightly darker edge that I think Tim Burton can really bring out.
I for one cannot wait to see what he does with it.

this alice in wonderland movie has nothing to do with the original story, its just a story involving all the charachters from alice in wonderland, i mean, in this version, she“s 17, and comming back to wonderland, to save everyone, and to fall in love with the mad hatter, it sounds just like a fan-made story, not just by any fan , but one that hasnt even read the book, it is such a waste of talent, and money